UConn Went Back-To-Back With A Dominant Performance Against Purdue

GLENDALE — On Monday evening at State Farm Stadium, Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies stayed true to the script they’ve written in 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament games. The Huskies were pushed for one half by the Purdue Boilermakers in the national title game but, in what has become typical fashion, UConn put its foot on the floor after halftime, zooming to a double-digit lead that would never be relinquished. The end result was a 75-60 victory and the 2024 national championship, with UConn becoming the first repeat champion in men’s college basketball since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007.

At the outset, both teams were energized and performing well on offense. Despite early jitters, both teams connected on 4-of-7 shots before the first media timeout, with UConn’s Cam Spencer scoring seven quick points to give the Huskies a two-point edge.

Edey flashed his considerable brilliance moments later. First, he finished a lob from Braden Smith in emphatic fashion. Edey then followed it with a pair of monstrous blocked shots on the defensive end, and then got the best of Donovan Clingan in the post for a three-point play to tie the game.

Edey scored 14 of the first 23 points for Purdue. On the other end, UConn’s offense was also flowing beautifully, and the Huskies kept pace as a result. The Huskies scored 1.4 points per possession in the first ten minutes of the game, including a seven-point mini-outburst from reserve guard Hassan Diarra.

Both Edey and Clingan took very brief rests in the first half, with each lasting less than a minute on the bench. Each absence was clearly felt, perhaps prompting the respective coaches to fix things quickly, and it added to the synergy of what was already a tightly-contested half. UConn also inched ahead with a 32-25 lead, partly due to a dry spell that saw Purdue miss six out of seven shots.

With Purdue perhaps teetering a bit, Smith put together a 5-0 mini-run for the Boilermakers, including a tough three-pointer to force a UConn timeout.

Smith’s triple also doubled as Purdue’s first long-range connection of the evening, which was notable for the nation’s second-leading team in three-point accuracy. In fact, the Boilermakers attempted only two three-pointers in the first half, perhaps illustrating the effects of UConn’s pressure. Offensively, the Huskies were led by All-American Tristen Newton, who contributed 11 points before halftime, showcasing his creativity and touch.

UConn landed the first punch out of the locker room, pushing the lead to as many as nine points. Then, an unlikely source produced the most captivating single highlight of the evening when Purdue reserve Cam Heide threw down an earth-shattering putback dunk that also happened to be his first field goal of the Final Four.

That was followed by a potentially pivotal moment in which Clingan picked up his third foul with 15:54 remaining. He went to the bench, perhaps opening the door for Purdue, but backup big man Samson Johnson had other ideas. He finished back-to-back dunks after entering the game and gave UConn a 47-34 lead in the process.

While Purdue was able to keep things in the range of 10-12 points for a few more minutes, the infamous UConn knockout blow was coming. Alex Karaban knocked down a triple and, after a miss by Purdue, the Huskies scored in transition to take a 56-40 lead with fewer than ten minutes to play.

Through the first 11 minutes of the second half, Purdue had only 10 points and three field goals, including the bizarre insistence on avoiding three-point shots. While UConn should be credited for defensive emphasis in that area, it was also clear that the Boilermakers were going to win the math battle and, with Edey cooling off after a hot start, things swung to the reigning champs. In the end, UConn led by as many as 18 points in the second half, and the result was never in doubt once UConn assumed full control.

For Purdue, the end result was not what Matt Painter nor his team wanted, but the Boilermakers enjoyed their best season in more than four decades. The Boilermakers reached the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and the national final for the first time since 1969. Edey was the consensus best player in the sport for two straight years, and that was on display on the biggest stage. While he certainly regressed as the game went along, Edey finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, completing a tournament run in which he exceeded 20 points and 10 rebounds in all six games.

The Boilermakers simply could not keep up with the Huskies at the other four positions, leading Purdue to fall just one game short of matching Virginia’s turnaround from a first round loss to a No. 16 seed to a national title the following season. Of course, much of that can be traced to the utter dominance of UConn for a second straight tournament. Not only did UConn become the first repeat champion in 17 years, but they’re only the third repeat champion in five decades and the third No. 1 overall seed to win the national title since 2004. UConn was utterly dominant for the lion’s share of both tournaments, winning each game by double figures and covering the spread in all 12 contests, which continued in Monday’s final.

While UConn shot only 6-of-22 from three-point range, the team asserted its offensive will in other ways. Chief among them was the offensive glass, with the Huskies grabbing 14 of their own missed shots. UConn also committed only eight turnovers, flipping the possession battle in its direction, and the Huskies operated with precision to make life miserable for Purdue’s defense. The Huskies certainly had athleticism and physicality advantages on the perimeter, both on paper and in practice, but UConn also executed at an elite level on the defensive end to put its stamp on this victory.

Purdue entered the game shooting more than 40 percent from three-point range on nearly 20 attempts per contest, and that helped to boost the Boilermakers to an elite offensive profile this season. Edey did his part to score in the paint, but the Boilermakers were simply unable to create (or make) quality looks from the perimeter, making only one triple during the 40-minute game. That left Purdue without a “plan B” of sorts, allowing UConn to clamp down and maximize its talent advantage.

During the regular season, three men’s college basketball teams — UConn, Purdue, and Houston — stood above the rest. The Cougars suffered debilitating injuries, including the loss of All-American guard Jamal Shead during the tournament, and while that is unfortunate, Houston was never able to showcase its best. That left only two and, over the course of a 40-minute game on Monday and also over 12 NCAA Tournament games over two years, the UConn Huskies vaulted themselves into a different stratosphere. It was a thoroughly dominant effort on the grandest stage of the sport, and the party will continue in Storrs until practice convenes in the fall.